Vapor generator



Feb. 20, 1934. A J NERAD VAPOR GENERATOR Filed Oct. 16, 1929 u e ELM N ot. t J Lu eu A w 46 Tm H n A U b,

usual manner, I connect them to what may be Patented F eb. 20, 1934UNITED STATES VAPOR GENERATOR Anthony J. Nerad,

New York Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to General Electric Company,

a corporation of Application October 16, 1929. Serial No. 400,141

17 Claims.

The present invention relates to vapor generators for vaporizing aliquid such as mercury, which because of its relatively high cost mustbe used in as limited quantities as possible.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction andarrangement of vapor generator especially adapted for use on ship board,an application which, due to the rolling and pitching of the ship,oifers especial difficulties, and for a consideration of what I believeto be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the followingspecification and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view, partly insection, of a vapor generator embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is adetail perspective view, partly broken away, of one of the liquid drums.

According to my invention, I provide a boiler of the depending tubetype, but instead of connecting the tubes directly to a vapor drum inthe termed a liquid drum or liquid feeder drum, the primary function ofwhich is to supply liquid to the boiler tubes, and I then provide abovethe liquid drum, a vapor drum which receives the vapor generated in theboiler tubes and which supplies liquid to the liquid drum. One or moreliquid drums may be provided, as found desirable, and these may beconnected in parallel to a single vapor drum. The vapor drum is locatedabove the level of the liquid drum or drums by an amount such that thehead of liquid in the conduits supplying liquid from the vapor drum tothe liquid drum or drums will be great enough that, even with themaximum pitch or roll of the ship, the liquid space or spaces of theliquid drum or drums will be maintained full and liquid will be suppliedcontinuously to it or them and from it or them to all the boiler tubesunder a positive pressure.

In the drawing, I have shown two liquid drums l and 2 connected inparallel to a common vapor drum 3. Each liquid drum comprises an outershell 4 and an inner shell 5 spaced apart to form an annular boilerchamber. The drum is closed at its ends by suitable heads (not shown).The central space 6 may be filled with air. The boiler chamber isdivided by suitable walls into a liquid space 7 and a vapor space 8, theliquid space being connected to the boiler tubes for feeding liquid tothem and the vapor space being connected to the vapor drum 3. The liquidspace 7 is curved or arc shaped and is defined by curved walls 9 and 10which are concentric with shells 4 and 5, the two walls 10 defining theupper limits of the space.

The vapor space 8 is defined by wall 9 and the adjacent surface of outershell 4, and is connected by a conduit 11 to vapor drum 3. Wall 9 maywith advantage be formed in two or more sections connected by a flexiblewall 12 to permit of expansion of the wall.

The boiler tubes are indicated at 13. Each boiler tube comprises anouter tube 14 which is closed at its lower end and is connected at itsupper end to shell 4 so that it communicates with vapor space 8, and aninner tube 15 which terminates just short of the lower end of tube 14and is connected at its upper end to wall 9 so that it communicates withliquid space 7. The inner tube 15 forms a displacer in that its wallsdisplace a certain amount of liquid. Liquid flows down through innertube 15 and up through the annular space between the inner and outertubes. It is heated and vaporized as it flows upward, the vapor and.such liquid particles as are carried along therewith being discharged tothe vapor space 8 from whence it fiows through conduit 11 to vapor drum3. The tube structure is shown only diagrammatically. In actual practiceI may utilize a tube structure such as that disclosed in my applicationSerial No. 306,467, filed September 17, 1928. A wall of the furnace forthe boiler is indicated at 16. In the present instance each liquid drumis shown as being provided with its own furnace so that each may befired separately.

This permits of the drums being operated independently of each other.

I may with advantage provide in vapor space 8, a means for separatingliquid particles from the vapor, the liquid particles being returned to9D liquid space 7. For this purpose I have shown a number of separators17 arranged side by side in the upper portion of vapor space 8 on eachside of the drum. Each separator comprises a curved plate having aspiral shaped passage 18 in it into which the vapor and liquid particlesflow, the direction of flow being changed by the curved wall 19 whichdirects the vapor and liquid particles into the circular chamber 20.From circular chamber 20 the vapor flows through a passage 21 in wall 9and a slot 22 in wall 10 to conduit 11 and the liquid which is separatedout in the chamber due to the change in direction of flow, flows througha passage 23 in wall 9 and a passage 26 in wall 10 to liquid space 7.

The liquid spaces of drums 1 and 2 are connected in multiple to vapordrum 3 by conduits 24 which connect with the lower end of drum 3. Theseconduits serve to supply liquid from drum 3 to liquid spaces 7. Inconduits 11 and 24 are suitable valves 25 by means of which eitherliquid drum may be shut off from vapor drum 3. 28 indicates a conduitthrough which vapor is discharged from drum 3, and 27 indicates aconduit through which liquid is supplied to it. 29 are stand pipes whichform pressure safety devices for the liquid drums. They may be connectedat their upper ends with the condenser in case the vapor generator isused to supply vapor to a condensing engine such as an elastic fluidturbine. In drum 3 are baflies 30 which serve to prevent violentagitation of the liquid.

By my invention, it will be seen that I provide a vapor generatorwherein the tubes will be supplied always with liquid even though thegenerator stands at a considerable angle to the vertical since theconduits 24 will always keep liquid spaces '7 filled with liquid. At thesame time, the system can be designed for a minimum amount of liquidsince the liquid chambers '7 need not be large.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the principle of operation of my invention, together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof;but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is onlyillustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In a vapor generator, a liquid drum comprising walls which surroundeach other and are spaced apart to form an annular chamber, walls insaid chamber dividing said chamber into a liquid space and a vaporspace, boiler tubes connected to said drum, a vapor drum located abovesaid liquid drum, and conduits connecting the vapor drum to said liquidspace and said vapor space.

2. In a vapor generator, a liquid drum comprising spaced walls whichsurround each other to form an annular chamber, walls in said chamberdividing said chamber into vapor and liquid spaces, boiler tubesconnected to said drum, a vapor drum located above the liquid drum, aconduit connecting the lower side of the vapor drum to said liquidspace, a conduit connecting the vapor drum to said vapor space, andmeans in said vapor space for separating liquid particles from vapor.

3. In a vapor generator, a liquid drum comprising walls which surroundeach other and are spaced apart to form an annular chamber, walls insaid chamber dividing said chamber into concentric vapor and liquidspaces, boiler tubes comprising outer tubes connected to said vaporspace and inner tubes connected to said liquid space, a vapor drumlocated above the liquid drum, a conduit connecting the lower end ofsaid vapor drum to said liquid space, and a conduit connecting the vapordrum to said vapor space.

4. In a vapor generator, a liquid drum comprising walls which surroundeach other and are spaced apart to form an annular chamber, walls insaid chamber dividing said chamber into a liquid space and avapor space,boiler tubes connected to said drum, a vapor drum located above saidliquid drum, conduits connecting the vapor drum to said liquidspace andsaid vapor space, and means in said vapor space for separating liquidparticles from'vapor.

5. A boiler drum comprising two cylindrical walls which surround eachother and are spaced apart to define an annular chamber, walls in saidchamber which divide it into concentric vapor and liquid spaces, boilertubes each of which is connected to both said spaces, and separatingmeans located in said vapor space for separating liquid particles fromvapor.

6. A boiler drum comprising two cylindrical walls which surround eachother and are spaced apart to define an annular chamber, walls in saidchamber which divide it into concentric vapor and liquid spaces, boilertubes each of which is connected to both said spaces, separating meanslocated in said vapor space for separating liquid particles from vapor,and means providing a passage for conveying the particles separated outback to the liquid space.

'7. In a vapor generator, a plurality of liquid drums each comprisingwalls which surround each other and are spaced apart to form an annularchamber, walls in said chamber dividing said chamber into concentricvapor and liquid spaces, boiler tubes connected to each one of saiddrums, a vapor drum located above the liquid drums, conduits connectingthe lower side of the vapor drum to said liquid spaces and conduitsconnecting the vapor drum to said vapor spaces.

8. In a vapor generator, 2. liquid drum comprising two cylindrical wallswhich surround each other and are spaced apart to form an annularchamber, walls in said chamber which divide it into concentric vapor andliquid spaces, boiler tubes connected to said spaces, a vapor drumlocated above said liquid drum, conduits connecting the vapor drum tosaid liquid and vapor spaces, and separating means provided in saidvapor space for separating liquid particles from vapor.

9. In a vapor generator, a liquid drum comprising two cylindrical wallswhich surround each other and are spaced apart to form an annularchamber, walls in said chamber which divide it into concentric vapor andliquid spaces, boiler tubes each comprising an outer tube, which isclosed at its lower end and connected at its upper end to said vaporspace, and an inner tube terminating short of the lower end of saidouter tube and connected at its upper end to said liquid space, a vapordrum located above said liquid drum, conduits connecting the vapor drumto said liquid and vapor spaces, and separating means provided in saidvapor space for separating liquid particles from vapor.

10. In a vapor generator, a liquid drum comprising walls which surroundeach other and are spaced apart to form an annular chamber, walls insaid chamber, dividing said chamber into vapor and liquid spaces, boilertubes connected to said drum,avapor drum located above the liquid drum,

a conduit connecting the lower side of the vapor drum to said liquidspace, a conduit connecting the vapor drum to said vapor space, means insaid vapor space for separating liquid particles from vapor, and meansproviding a passage for conveying the separated liquid particles back tothe liquid space.

11. In a vapor generator, a plurality of liquid drums each comprisingwalls which surround each other and are spaced apart to form an annularr3.

chamber, walls in said chamber dividing said chamber into concentricvapor and liquid spaces, boiler tubes connected to each one of saiddrums, a vapor drum located symmetrically above the liquid drums,conduits connecting the lower side or the vapor drum to said liquidspaces and conduits connecting the vapor drum to said vapor spaces.

12. A boiler drum comprising two cylindrical walls which surround eachother and are spaced apart to define an annular chamber, a wall in saidchamber which divides it into a vapor space and a liquid space, andboiler tubes each of which is connected to both said spaces.

13. A boiler drum comprising two cylindrical walls which surround eachother and are spaced apart to define an annular chamber, a wall in saidchamber which divides it into concentric vapor and liquid spaces, andboiler tubes each of which is connected to both said spaces.

14. A boiler drum comprising two continuous cylndrical walls spacedapart to define a chamber therebetween extending completely around theinterior of the drum, a wall in said chamber which divides it into avapor space and a liquid space, and boiler tubes each of which isconnected to both of said spaces.

15. A vapor generator including a drum, a tubular member within the drumand having its wall extending completely around the interior of the drumto define a chamber between the drum and said member, a wall within saidchamber dividing the same into a vapor space and a liquid space, andboiler tubes each of which is connected to both of said spaces.

16. In a mercury boiler, a horizontal cylindrical drum, a displacer insaid drum and spaced therefrom, and a perforated cylindrical separatorbetween said drum and displacer spaced from each one of them.

17. In a mercury boiler, a horizontally disposed cylindrical drum, aninner cylinder spaced from said drum, tubes connected to the lowerportion of said drum, displacers in said tubes and a separator in saiddrum being spaced from said drum and cylinder.

ANTHONY J. NERAD.

